Unwelcome Destiny
by KatInOuterSpace
Summary: Lotor/Allura friendly, my take on what would transpire if Lotor captures Allura and they get married. This is my first story, comments are welcome but please no flames! And I do not own Lotor, Allura, Voltron, etc.
1. Chapter 1

Once the deal with the Doom Empire was solidified, the illegal drug trade on the world of Caelia began to thrive. The ruler of the small planet, Gareth, originally had been against the idea of entering into a business agreement with the feared Drules, but it was an excellent opportunity for his planet, and besides, one did not tell King Zarkon "no" without repercussions. Gareth had been harboring secret hopes that Caelia could one day join the Alliance, but if the arrangement with Doom was discovered this would be all but an impossibility.

The drug at the center of the deal, Voryul, had only been discovered in abundance recently when settlements began appearing in the newly-terraformed regions of the planet, which had formerly been uninhabitable. The agreement itself was simple - if Caelia agreed to provide the Drules unfettered access to the Voryul stockpiles, Doom would provide the slave labor needed to extract it. They would also help distribute it to other parts of the Galaxy while staying under the radar of the Alliance, which had outlawed the substance many years ago due to its severe intoxicating effects and the fact that only a very small amount could kill most species if the chemical wasn't sufficiently boiled down. It was agreed that all profits would be split evenly. With Doom's help, the illegal trade brought in a windfall of profits for the struggling planet. Gareth wasn't sure why Doom was so interested in helping their unexciting home, but his suspicions became more focused after he met the witch Haggar. She seemed particularly interested in its odorless and highly dissolvable properties.

The son of Doom's King Zarkon, Prince Lotor, and Haggar had recently arrived on Caelia to inspect newly constructed Voryul mines and settle an accounting dispute. Lotor was livid at the preposterous idea that anyone would try to short-change him.

"Keep cool, Sire," Haggar reminded him in an atypical soothing tone. "We still need their services for awhile longer before I have enough of the Voryul to create the magic elixir that you so desire. Soon the experimentation process will be complete and I will be able to manufacture enough of the concoction to put the Voltron Force out of commission forever."

Lotor's lips curled upwards in a satisfactory smile. He had tasked Haggar with using the Volyrul to create a poisonous brew that would be used to sicken members of the Voltron team. His idea had been different from previous attempts to thwart the irritating men who had become the bane of his existence. This time, the process would be slower and more calculated. The eventual substance would be slipped into the Voltron Force's food and drink slowly, over time. In an earlier raid on Arus, Lotor had captured the Castle of Lions chef and his family. He threatened the chef's wife and baby child with death if the chef did not comply with his plans and poison the Princess and her friends. They wouldn't get sick right away but eventually, after ingesting small amounts bit by bit, meal by meal, they would fall ill and be unable to defend the planet from his attacks. Then he would be able to take the planet at his leisure and Allura would be his. The fact that she would fall ill because of the Volyrul had been a concern, and the smile that had crossed his face disappeared and was replaced with a deep scowl.

"You're sure the princess will not be seriously harmed by this?" Lotor asked the witch as they walked towards King Gareth's council chambers.

"I'm quite sure, my Lord," she replied. "They will all fall ill, but we will conquer the planet before they ingest enough to be killed. They will all be captured alive and at your disposal on Planet Doom. And if prepared correctly, the Volyrul is untraceable in any current known tests, so no blame will befall us."

Lotor's smile returned again, thinking of the Voltron force in his prison and Allura at his side on the throne. And unbeknownst to Haggar, he planned the same fate for his father, only he planned to finish the deal. With the Voltron force out of his way, Allura as his queen, and Zarkon gone forever, his life would be complete. Lotor and the witch stepped inside Gareth's modest council chambers and Lotor immediately assumed the role of judge, jury, and executioner, the previous thoughts of Allura and Voltron replaced with revulsion for the King who would try to steal from him.

"Gareth," the dark prince growled, hatred unmitigated in his yellow eyes. "You think me a fool!" he bellowed, his rage building fast now that he was in the presence of the man who obviously had a death wish.

"My Lord," Gareth stammered, falling to one knee. "Let me explain, please, it was a mistake! I have the money, my accountant has been fired – you will not deal with such incompetence again, this I assure you!"

"HA!" Lotor retorted, "Of this I am sure of! It is not enough, Gareth, I need to be _sure_ that something like this will never happen again. You are only still breathing at this moment because we are not finished with your precious resources."

"My Lord, what can I do to appease you? Please, you must know that I am sincere – I would not risk my life or my planet on such a stupid, blatant trick!"

"Hmph!" Lotor countered, backhanding Gareth across the mouth. He was still unconvinced. The young king stayed firm, his cheek burning but there was no blood. He knew this recent turn of events would displease the dark prince of Doom but he had underestimated his temper. It was obvious to the less experienced Gareth that Lotor was used to dealing with a level of professionalism Caelia was not able to deliver. It had been an honest mistake but he did not know how to prove this to Lotor without delivering what would sound like a myriad of rehearsed excuses.

Suddenly Lotor's demeanor changed and he looked down at Gareth with an unexpected gleam in his eye. An idea had just occurred to him that could speed up his plan just slightly.

"Gareth," Lotor said, motioning for the fearful king to stand, "Is it true that you wish to join the Alliance?"

Gareth looked at him, unsure exactly how to respond. He had to be truthful, he couldn't deceive the prince a second time even if the first had been unintentional. How upset would he be if he knew that he wanted to join with Lotor's sworn enemy? And how did Lotor find this out? He had never made his goals obvious….

"I have my sources," Lotor responded as if reading Gareth's mind. "And I may have a way of helping you achieve your goals…." The dark prince smiled masochistically. "Helping" Gareth would aide Lotor in achieving his goals, as well.

"My Lord?" Gareth asked, obviously confused.

"Gareth," Lotor replied, "If you want to join the Alliance, maybe you should speak with someone knowledgeable about their…..procedures….."

"I'm sorry, Prince Lotor, I don't understand." Gareth shook his head, still not seeing where Lotor was going with this.

Lotor grinned again, mentally finalizing his plan. Gareth could bring him his ultimate prize – Allura. He would convince the Caleian king to invite her to the planet by convincing her he wanted to join the Alliance. No doubt she would come, the naïve girl, always assuming the best in people. And adding new support to her silly cause would be appealing to her as well. While they waited for the date to arrive that Allura would visit, Lotor would see to it that the Voltron Force would be slowly poisoned…the caustic chemical building in their bodies so that they wouldn't feel the affects just yet, but it wouldn't be long before they did. Lotor would also not have to worry so much about Allura falling ill since she would be in his possession after the Caelian incident, but he could keep drugging the remaining four Voltron imbeciles until it pleased him to stop. It wouldn't be long until Haggar had her formula perfected….Lotor was confident Gareth could contact Arus and make the appointment right then, and by the time Allura actually arrived Haggar's experimentation would be complete.

"Gareth," Lotor said, "Have you ever spoken with Princess Allura of the planet Arus? She has great knowledge of Alliance protocol. She could help you in your quest."

Gareth only looked at Lotor, still not sure where the Drule prince was going in his suggestion of help. Why wouldn't Lotor be upset that he was trying to ally with his enemy?

"I've…met her, my Lord," he said slowly, "at various royal events. Formal functions and the like, but I've never spoken to her of my ambitions."

"I would think she would be a very powerful ally," Lotor responded.

"Yes of course," Gareth said, "However, I'm still not sure what you are suggesting….."

Haggar the witch only pursed her lips, knowing exactly what Lotor was suggesting. He was willing to ruin yet another well laid out plan in his relentless pursuit of the Arusian princess. His reckless ways would only hurt them again, no doubt.

"Invite Princess Allura here," Lotor said. "Discuss the Alliance with her. I would like to speak with her as well, currently my father has no plans in aligning with the Alliance, but maybe once he is…..no longer in power…..I may change things…." Lotor stroked his chin, thinking of the possibilities if Gareth was successful in coercing Allura to come to Caelia.

"Please forgive me, my Lord, but I still don't understand…."

"Allura would never speak with me herself, Gareth, so I'm asking you to bring her here so that I may talk to her. Are you really that stupid?" Lotor retorted. "Invite her here, now, and if she agrees to come then maybe I can be persuaded to forgive your ealier insolence!"

"Ahh, I do understand now, Prince Lotor. I will do as you suggest."

"Yes….yes you will," Lotor murmured, feeling almost giddy at the prospect of seeing Allura sooner than he had originally intended.

Gareth immediately went to the communications console in the council chamber and hailed planet Arus. He knew there had to be more in this plan for Lotor than the dark prince had originally let on, but he didn't care. He was in no position to question the man who had just spared his life……………

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Allura arrived on Caelia not feeling up to the discussion that she and King Gareth had planned a month ago. She wasn't feeling right, her stomach was upset and she felt as though she was coming down with something. She had considered cancelling their meeting, but her upcoming schedule was no less crowded and Gareth had made a convincing case that what he needed to discuss was important. Pidge and Lance had been feeling ill as well though, so she assumed there was something going around and soon it would pass…she had made it clear to Gareth before she arrived that she wasn't feeling well and she may be contagious, but he still insisted that they meet.

Gareth felt sick to his stomach, but for very different reasons than the Arusian princess he had coerced into meeting with him. He sat down in his quarters, just before he was supposed to meet with Princess Allura. Prince Lotor had arrived the day before and discussed with him his true plans for Gareth's meeting with her. He knew the prince was twisted, but he never imagined it was this bad. Lotor wanted him to invite Allura here so that he could take her back to Doom with him. It was all an elaborate trap that Gareth was forced to participate in in order to avoid the original fate – death – intended for him after the accounting error. He had no choice but to comply, he felt awful for condemning the beautiful princess to such a fate, but he had no other way out. And surely his hopes of joining the Alliance were doomed forever, but he was willing to risk this fate over his prolonged torture and death at the hands of a madman.

He sighed as the intercom buzzed, his top advisor notifying him of the princess's arrival. Smoothing out his jacket as he stood up, he walked into the hall on his way to meet the ill-fated innocent princess.

Allura shooed away the last three dinner courses, not feeling well enough to continue eating. She was burning up and her constricting formal dress wasn't helping with her nauseaus stomach. Gareth was watching her intently all throughout the elaborate meal, wondering how much his Volyrul contributed to her uncomfortable state.

"Princess," he quipped, following the plans Lotor had given him, "Would you like to go for a walk?" Gareth stood up, indicating his determined nature and hoping she wouldn't turn him down. He had to get her alone, away from her guards and other members of the Arusian team who had accompanied her. The tainted wine she had drank during dinner would surely be showing its debilitating effects soon.

Allura looked at him, secretly wanting to decline his offer but thinking if they discussed his concerns now, she could leave sooner rather than later. "Yes, King Gareth, I would be delighted."

The princess stood and walked to the king, whom she noticed had a glimmer of sadness in his brown eyes. She tried to smile, but found it difficult as she was feeling more tired than usual. She attributed it to the sickness that had befallen her and her friends.

It was unseasonably cool for an early spring day on Caelia, and Allura found that she needed a light wrap around her dark pink dress to feel comfortable.

"King Gareth," she began, as soon as they were out of hearing range of the others, "You wish to join the Alliance? How may I help you?"

"Your highness," he replied, "I know my planet is insignificant, however, we would love to help your cause in any way that we can."

She frowned, wondering why he hadn't gone through any official procedures before he decided to call upon her. They walked a bit further as she carefully constructed a proper response to his statement. Soon they were almost at the end of the trail surrounding the castle and almost to the forest at the southern end of the royal property. Allura stumbled, her head starting to feel clouded. She had purposely avoided drinking alcohol at dinner due to her illness. She figured she must be getting more sick – none of the doctors on Arus had been able to give her anything so far that made her start to feel better. She thought it just needed to run its course…..

Gareth caught her elbow and helped her to stand up straight. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, "Like I said before, I haven't been feeling well."

"It's okay, princess," Gareth said softly, "I understand…." "_Where is Lotor?" Gareth thought to himself. "Soon Allura will demand to go back inside, and no doubt Lotor will blame me……"_

Gareth needent have worried, for no sooner had he finished his thought than a loud noise erupted in the forest before them. A few seconds later, Lotor appeared in the clearing flanked by a small army of Drule soldiers.

The look on Allura's face turned from one of discomfort to horror as she saw her mortal enemy materialize before her. "Lotor," she hissed, instinctively taking a step back. She tried to grab Gareth's hand to run with her, but he held steady. He signaled to the two Caelian guards that had accompanied them and they stopped her retreat as well.

"Gareth, what……" she asked, clearly confused. Lotor approached them, the smug smile on his face too blatant to ignore.

"Allura," he practically sang, his strong features softening as he got closer. "Please, accept my invitation to tour the inside of my new Command ship."

"No," she retorted, the angry look in her eyes reflecting her true feelings towards the dark prince before her. She struggled to go around the two Caelian guards that blocked her path, but Lotor grabbed her arm before she had the chance. She stumbled again, feeling weaker, and the Drule prince caught and steadied her. _"Soon," he thought. "Soon the elixir will take its effect, and there will be no more fighting……."_

"Shhhh, my dear," he whispered softly, helping her to stand. "Relax….." he said, his lips falling close to her hair. He caught a whiff of her exhilarating scent and closed his eyes for a moment as the full impact of the situation at hand grabbed him. Everything about her, her smell, her beauty, her commanding regal presence, her passion for her planet….they all contributed to his infatuation towards the innocent princess. He could have almost any woman in the galaxy at his beck and call but none of them intrigued him with as much intensity as the one woman before him who despised him so. He squeezed her shoulders and inhaled again, this time savoring the delectable scent that entered his nose and permeated his senses. _"What will transpire once we arrive on Doom….."_ he thought to himself, forcing himself to focus on the current events at hand so that he might live to see the events he so fantasized about.

She struggled against his embrace, shaking her head, refusing to give into him without a fight. Her knees became weak and she found herself unable to support her own weight as tears started to form in her eyes. _"No!" _she thought to herself as Lotor's hands moved from her shoulders to around her body, lifting her in a cradling position once her legs gave out beneath her. He carried her now, kissing her forehead lightly. She found that she could no longer move, it was too difficult. She could hear and see everything happening around her, though it seemed to be in slow motion. Her head leaned back against Lotor's forearm and her head landed in a position that she could see Gareth's face. It looked sad, as though he had been another unwilling participant in Lotor's sadistic game of obsessiveness with her. She tried to cry out again but found it too difficult. Lotor shifted her so that her head rolled to the left and now she was looking up. He gazed down at her lovingly, she looked up at him with a corresponding level of fear and hatred.

"Shhhhh, my love," he whispered to her, trying to soothe her concerns, "Just sleep. Soon….soon everything will be okay." He nodded once at Gareth, rendering his services no longer necessary in this matter, and turned to walk back towards the forest where his Command ship was waiting.


	3. Chapter 3

Allura awakened in strange surroundings. Her mind still wasn't clear. Her stomach felt better but her head was still cloudy. She tried to open her eyes, but found it difficult even in the limited light that entered the room. A soothing voice was next to her and told her to go back to sleep as a cold hand stroked her forehead lightly. She leaned into it, feeling mildly euphoric, and smiled as she closed her eyes again. She was laying down in what felt like heaven, a sea of pillows and covers made of the softest and finest fabrics in the galaxy cradled her body. The silk nightgown she was wearing felt like magic against her skin, each movement of the garment that brushed against her made her inhale and exhale sharply in exhileration.

Lotor hovered over Allura smiling as well, knowing the effects of the drug he had used to incapacitate her as he'd seen it tested on many slaves as the chemical formula was being perfected. Once he'd finalized his plans with Gareth, he ordered Haggar to concoct a new drug to render Allura helpless – one that would not frighten her so much once she awakened. One that would derive as much contentment as it did fear. He ran his fingers over her forehead and through her hair again, knowing that each touch that caressed her soft skin manifested a thrilling awareness throughout her body. He relished this experience, knowing that once the drug wore off she would be so different. This was his last chance to see her smile, a sight he held more dear than any other. He leaned down to kiss her lips, and climbed into the bed next to her as he wrapped his strong arms around her helpless form. She smiled again, eyes closed, and leaned her head contentedly against his shoulder. He closed his eyes as well, trying to savor each and every moment he had with his beautiful princess before she would awaken and despise him again.

"Alert me once she awakens completely," he ordered the guards standing outside of her doors once he'd finished relishing in her happiness. The motion detectors in the room would dictate once the drug wore off and she was able to walk around the room he'd taken great pains to prepare for her.

* * *

Johan felt very guilty about poisoning Princess Allura and the rest of the members of the Voltron Team, but he had no choice. He and his family had been taken by Drule soldiers in an Arusian slave raid. When they found out he worked in the kitchen at the Castle of Lions, Lotor presented him with an offer - slowly poison the Voltron team, or Lotor would kill his wife and daughter. He could see how the poison was affecting them…Pidge and Allura the most, since they were the smallest. But Keith and Lance and Hunk were exhibiting the effects, too, beginning to complain of dizzy spells and headaches. It seemed as though every doctor on Arus had tried to figure out what the cause was of their mysterious malady, but so far none had been successful. Johan was surprised when Allura agreed to go to her meeting on Caelia with King Gareth; he admired her loyalty to her royal duties. She only brought with her a minimal security team, since the rest of the Voltron force was sick and this meeting seemed like a simple dipomatic matter.

Keith didn't like the idea of Allura going to Caelia without at least one other Voltron force member. She was more sick than he or Lance, and Lotor had reached such a level of stalking that he had to assume the dark prince would be wherever Allura was going. And Caelia was far away…if something did come up, it would take them longer than usual to get to her…not that any of them were feeling up to it. He voiced his protests to her, but she wouldn't have any of it. She said Gareth had mentioned wanting to discuss joining the Alliance, and thought that maybe she could help him. Allura was too idealistic…she saw the opportunity for a new ally as a great victory, even though th planet was small had no real value. He was at least able to convince her to take her Blue Lion, and have the rest of her entourage follow in a different ship. She could protect herself much better in the lion, if she needed to.

Keith was sleeping when the communications panel in his room buzzed. "Commander Keith! Come quickly!" he recognized Corran's voice and hopped out of bed as fast as he was physically able to. Lance and Hunk weren't far behind him, but there was no sign of Pidge. Keith figured he must be feeling worse.

"What is it," Keith said, immediately concerned about Allura.

"It's the Princess!" Corran replied, a look of deep concern on his face. "Lotor captured her on Caelia!"

"What!" Lance exclaimed. "How did _he_ know she was going to be there?"

Keith's expression turned to one of anger, and he clinched his teeth. He felt guilty for what had happened, as though he was somehow responsible. "Do you know for sure, Corran?" he asked.

"Yes," Corran said. "We received this transmission from Lotor's command ship a few minutes ago," he pressed a button and the recorded video began to play.

_Greetings, Voltron Force,_ it started, and the image of Lotor's ugly face filled the screen. _You are much too careless with your Princess…you shouldn't let her go out into strange parts of the galaxy alone, **I** certainly wouldn't…there are so many things that could happen to her!_ He began laughing in the maniacal way that they were so used to. _But luckily some of those around her have genuine concern for her well being. She will be safe with me on Planet Doom, where the evils of the Universe will never be able to hurt her. Sadly however, you will not receive an invitation to our wedding. Ta ta, fools! _

The laugh started again, and Keith slammed his fist down on the console. The camera shot switched from Lotor's laughing face to a sleeping Allura in a room they didn't recognize, but assumed it to be on Lotor's ship. It ended with that picture, and Keith turned to the rest of the team.

"Come on! We're going to pay a little visit to Caelia, Gareth has some explaining to do! Lance, you ride with me so that you can pilot the Blue Lion on the way back. We'll leave Pidge here, he's in no condition to fight if he needs to."

The three Voltron Force members nodded, and ran off to board their lions and head towards the the small, ordinary planet.

* * *

Upon arrival at Caelia, Keith opened a frequency to King Gareth, who granted them permission to land.

"How could you do it, Gareth!" Keith demanded, once they were escorted to the King's visitor receiving area and caught sight of him.

"I had no choice!" Gareth protested.

"Why didn't you call us!" Lance said angrily.

"I…I couldn't!" the frightened king replied. "He wouldn't let me!"

Keith growled but understood how Lotor worked. He wasn't in the mood to argue, anyway. "Fine…let's just get the Blue Lion and go."

"You aren't going anywhere!" a voice at the entrance of the room yelled.

"Huh?" the three Voltron Force members said in unision.

At that moment, the room was inundated with about 30 Doom guards. "Drop your weapons! Hands up!" they ordered.

"Oh what now!" Lance proclaimed.

"A trap?!?!" Hunk yelped.

"Just do it," Keith ordered. "We're way outnumbered." The three team members let their blasters fall to the floor and raised their hands.

"You!' the head guard said, pointing his gun at Keith, "Come here!"

Keith slowly walked towards them. When he got close enough, one of the guards raised a knee to Keith's stomach, hard. With Keith doubled over in pain, he took the opportunity to handcuff his hands behind his back.

"Hey!" Lance yelled, "Watch what you're doing!"

"Silence!" the head guard responded. He pushed Keith off into a group of about four more guards, who started to escort him out of the room.

"Where are you taking him!" Hunk yelled.

"I said, SILENCE!" the guard ordered once more. No one said anything for about a minute, until the guard's communicator beeped. "We're ready for departure!"

"Excellent," the guard replied. "If you don't mind, we will be taking your friend with us. Have a nice day!"

"Wait!" Lance yelled.

"Keith!" Hunk cried. But there was nothing they could do - they were greatly outnumbered, and had already surrendered their weapons.

Another guard began to speak. "Also, this planet is now the territory of planet Doom. You are not welcome here!" This guard, along with a few more of his friends, prodded them with the end of their blasters to walk outside where the lions . "Leave, and don't come back!" The guard slammed the castle door in their faces, and the two remaining Voltron Force members stared at each other, stunned.

"We've got to get back to Arus," Lance finally said. "Keith's got the key to the Black Lion, but maybe Allura left hers in the Blue Lion. I'll check and see." He climbed into the Blue Lion and luckily Allura, who hadn't made the trip in her uniform, had left the key inside. He gave Hunk a thumbs up and within minutes the two friends had lifted off from Caelia, headed back to Arus.

* * *

Allura woke up in the strange room a second time with a much clearer head. _Lotor!_ She remembered darkly, the pieces of how she'd arrived on Doom slowly coming back to her. She remembered the dinner with Gareth, the ambush by the Drule soldiers, herself falling like a ragdoll into the arms of Prince Lotor.

She climbed out of the oversized bed and walked around the room, shivering partly because of the thin nightgown she was wearing and partly because of the eerie vibe the dark castle emitted. She noticed a pretty green dress hanging from a hook on one one of the walls and ran her fingers over its velvet surface. She sighed, thinking it would be warmer than what she was already wearing, and slipped it on.

"Prince Lotor, the Princess has awakened!" a Drule guard informed his dark ruler once the buzzer tied into the motion detectors in Allura's room had gone off.

"Excellent!" Lotor exclaimed, excusing himself from the meeting he was holding with some of the Doom senior advisors. "Gentlemen," he nodded, "Soon everything we have discussed here today will be a reality."

Allura was sitting down in one of the oversized chairs at the oversized dining table almost hoping Lotor would visit her soon so they could get their awkward script out of the way. _Marry me! No! Yes! No!_ she thought to herself as she rolled her eyes. He was so pompous, annoying, and rude.

At that moment the large door opened and the imposing figure of Prince Lotor appeared. She stood as he entered not out of respect, but to show him that she wasn't afraid.

"My lovely Allura, you're looking as radiant as ever," Lotor said, smiling as he walked over to her. He tried to pull her towards him for a kiss but she resisted.

"Don't touch me," she hissed, "And no, I'm not going to marry you, so don't ask."

Lotor laughed…he seemed to be in a better mood than usual. "You know me too well, my love, but all in good time. Come with me, we're going on a little trip." He extended his hand to her but she scoffed at his invitation.

"I'd rather rot in a cell in the bowels of this castle than go anywhere with _you_," she retorted, folding her arms against her chest and narrowing her eyes.

Lotor shrugged, trying to pretend that her words didn't hurt as much as they actually did. He went to the communications station in her room which had three monitors on it. He activated the largest of the three using a code, and a planet as seen from space appeared onscreen. He gestured for her to come closer to see what he was looking at.

"_What_?" she asked rudely, suspicious of anything he had to show her.

"Come closer, my dear, and look at Planet Arus." Allura bristled slightly at the mention of her homeworld and relunctantly walked over to where he was. He gently took her by the shoulders and guided her to sit down in the chair in front of the station.

On the screen she could see her beautiful planet Arus surrounded by Drule battleships.

"So you're going to attack my planet again? How many times will it take for you to learn that you're never going to win, Lotor? Voltron will defeat you once more, then my friends will come and rescue me. You're delusional," she muttered, tired of the repetitive nature of their relationship. She tried to stand up and move to a different part of the room so that she wasn't so close to him, but his hands remained firmly on her shoulders and he pushed her back into the chair.

Lotor smiled smugly, knowing that for once he had the upper hand. He leaned forward to speak directly into her ear. "Mistake number one, my dear, the blue lion is still on Caelia without its pilot, so Voltron physically cannot be formed. Mistake number two, the remaining lions are busy at the moment at Caelia, Doom's newly acquired territory, trying to get back their lost lion, which means Arus is left unprotected. So it is quite simple. You will marry me, or I'll give the order to unleash every weapons cannon I have on your very vulnerable homeworld. For the remaining four lions to make it back before significant damage is done would mean they'd have to defy the laws of physics. As impressive as Voltron is, he isn't _that_ impressive. All you have to say is 'yes', Allura, by signing this contract, and I'll call all of them back to Doom. It's up to you, my dear, your planet or yourself." He laid down a piece of paper and a pen in front of her on the desk.

Allura's face was sticken with horror as she stared at the nightmare that unfolded before her on the monitor. "No….you wouldn't," she began, shaking her head as tears started to form in her eyes.

"Yes, I would, love. Not so smug, are we now," he replied evenly, releasing his hold on her shoulders as he walked to the dining table to pour himself a glass of wine. He then sat down in one of the chairs, sipping the wine and watching Allura struggle to come to terms with what he'd just told her. She continued to stare at the screen for a time, taking everything in slowly. Finally she wiped her eyes and stood up sluggishly, turning to face him.

"You can't…the people on Arus are innocent…they've done nothing to bring this upon themselves!" she breathed in deeply, trying to maintain her composure as she pleaded with him not to destroy her home.

"I've told you your choices, my dear," he replied, not interested in the slightest what the people of Arus had or hadn't done. "Pick one."

"Lotor please," she said, becoming nearly hysterical as she resorting to begging. "Please don't make me choose between....please..." she went over to where he was sitting and fell on her knees before him, trying anything she could to try to get him to change his mind and not force her to make this horrible decision.

_Interesting turn of events,_ Lotor mused, not expecting his ultimatum to have such a devastating effect on her so soon._ Maybe the drug is still influencing her somewhat...._"You try my patience, Allura," he said calmly. "I will say it one more time. Either you agree to marry me and sign this contract, or I will decimate every living thing on Arus. I am through with discussions and I am through with this ongoing game between us. Tell me your decision, _now_."

Allura squeezed her eyes shut, as if hoping by some magic spell she could wish herself away from her current personal hell. She realized she'd been holding her breath, and exhaled slowly, trying to keep the final pieces of strength that hadn't left her yet in place.

"I won't do it," she whispered, standing up and shaking her head from side to side as she clenched her fists, "I won't turn Arus over to you."

"Fine," Lotor replied sharply as he picked up a hand-held communicator. "Have it your way. This is Prince Lotor, on my mark I want every ship to fire on the planet until they've run out of weapons. 3, 2, 1……"

He didn't have time to say, 'mark', as Allura's terrified screams interrupted the transmission. "NO!" she yelled, lunging towards Lotor and trying to grab the communicator from his hand. His reflexes were impeccable, and he easily moved his hand out of the way before she could get to it.

"Hold," Lotor said, talking to his ship again. He stood up to look at Allura, who was crying openly now and making no effort to hide it. He reached inside his tunic to retrieve a hankerhcief and lightly began rubbing her face with it, silently admiring her beauty even in her panicked state. "Have you had a chance to reconsider your decision, my love?" he murmured into her ear.

She nodded slowly, and started to cough a bit as a result of her heavy sobbing. He gently escorted her back to the table to sit down, where she buried her head in her hands and continued to cry.

Lotor leaned against the table and stroked his face as he let her have her moment of grief. He silently watched her for a time, himself also sad that she would view spending the rest of her life with him as such a horrible fate. There wasn't anything he could not, _would not_, give her…all she had to do was ask. _It's only temporary,_ he thought, justifying her sorrow to himself, _She's just in shock…she'll be alright after she has some time to think everything over._ He waited patiently for a few minutes more until her crying seemed to subside some, then went over to the communications station and picked up the pen and contract he had presented to her earlier.

"Here you are, my love," he said softly, lowering himself to one knee and lightly rubbing her back. He also offered her the hankerchief he had used earlier.

Allura took the hankerchief so that she could wipe her eyes and actually read the contract.

_I, Allura, Princess of Arus, agree to the following terms:_

_1) I agree to marry Prince of Lotor of the planet Doom within thirty days_

_2) If I, for whatever reason, do not marry Prince Lotor within thirty days, I forfeit all claim to Planet Arus and its possessions to the Doom Empire. _

She gasped as she read the second line, realizing that even if the Voltron force managed some kind of miraculous rescue, if she didn't marry Lotor she would lose her planet. He had covered all of his bases this time, obviously learning a powerful lesson from his previous failures. She stared blankly at the words in front of her, pausing to think that at least for right now, at that moment, she did not belong to him. She wondered how long she could stall….maybe the Voltron force _was_ planning to rescue her! Maybe if she could hold Lotor off for just a little while more….her thoughts raced violently through her head as she became desperate for any way out. Maybe he hadn't locked the door…maybe there were no guards…maybe she could use the wine goblet as a weapon…frantically her eyes searched the room for something, anything, that would save her from a life under the control of Lotor. Maybe...maybe...maybe.....

Lotor watched Allura carefully, trying to be as patient as possible as she resigned herself to her fate, but patience was not one of his virtues. "Allura…" he said, softly but sternly, bringing her from her illusion of hope back to the nightmarish reality in front of her. "Enough stalling; I will not be tested again. As I said earlier, my dear, the games are over."

He picked up the pen from the table and held it in front of her eyes, indicating he was tired of her procrastinating. She slowly took the pen from him and inhaled deeply, closing her eyes once more. _I'm sorry, Father…_she said to herself, finally surrendering once and for all. She exhaled quickly, signing her name as she did so. Once she'd finished the final stoke in the second "a", she threw the pen down hard across the table as though it was burning a hole in her hand.

Triumphantly, Lotor went to stand up, pausing only to kiss her on the top of the head as he did so. She sat numbly in the chair and stared at the floor, having no more tears to cry and not wanting to exhibit any more sign of weakness.

"Order your ships away from my planet!" she suddenly demanded, looking up at him, "If your deal is off then so is mine!"

"As you wish, my bride," he replied, not bothering to remind her that he didn't take orders from anyone. He brought the communicator to his face again and said, "This is Prince Lotor. I want all ships in Arusian space to leave now and return to Planet Doom."

"Yes, my Lord," the Commander in charge of the expedition acknowledged.

Lotor walked over to the table and picked up the paper that Allura had just signed. "If you will excuse me, my love, I have business to attend to. I'll have my lawyers draw up a second contract detailing the more political intricacies of our union. Is there anything specific you would like for me to include?"

She looked up at him, surprised that he would give her such an option.

"Yes," she said softly, an obviously defeated tone to her voice. She stood up from the table to appear in a more official position. "Lotor...." she whispered.

"Yes, Allura?" he responded, happy to hear her speak his name in a manner that was diffrent from the disgust he'd grown accustomed to. He walked back over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders again.

"I have no delusions about our……arrangement," she began, looking up at him. Her eyes were still very red and puffy, indicative of the recent pain he had put her through, and he could see that whatever she was going to tell him was very difficult for her. "I...I know that you will be in command, no matter what the situation is. I only ask that you still allow me to govern Arus. Please don't let anything change with Arus...my people are so important to me, please don't hold them responsible for my actions toward you in the past...." She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes again as she thought about her subjects. Her situation was deplorable enough, but her people were innocent. She couldn't bear it if he hurt them because of her.

Lotor's lips turned upward into a smile, knowing that he had her in an interesting predicament. He leaned forward and kissed her, finding it thrilling that she didn't try to pull away.

"I am willing to leave Arus under your rule, but that all depends on you, Allura, and your level of commitment to me...accept our marriage as your future and me as your King completely, make this willing gesture for me and I will be more than happy to leave your precious planet untouched except for a few small security stations, per protocol...." His voice trailed off, leaving the knowing answer up to her.

Allura understood his insinuation very clearly. If she wanted to retain Arus, he would demand more from her than just the unwilling compromise she'd already made. He wanted her to truly and without hesitation accept his offer of himself, of their lives together as husband and wife. It was the only thing she had kept for herself up until then, that small and private level of resistance to him. Her spirit, the one remaining battle he had not yet conquered, was the final piece of the puzzle that she was able to hold over his head and taunt him with. The last battle of a psychological war that up until then, she had won. She gritted her teeth as she mulled it over in her head...her people versus her pride, dignity, and honor. But how much honor could she realistically hope to maintain if her people were suffering in slavery? She decided it was a sacrifice she was willing to make.

"I understand" she said softly, lowering herself into a small genuflection before him. It killed her inside but ultimately she knew this was worth it for the sake of her people. She went to bow her head but he put a finger under her chin first, tilting her face upwards to regard her beauty one more time and remind himself that finally, after all of the fighting, all of the years he had tried, time after time, to posses her, that now she was his at last. She stood upright and tried to look him in the eye, but couldn't. She was still too ashamed of the power over her that she had just handed to him, seemingly with no reservations whatsoever.

Satisfied with her sacrifice, Lotor kissed her once more and murmured, "Excellent, my love, continue to behave this way and you shall have your planet...."

Allura nodded sadly, knowing that his offer was forever conditional upon her. If she ever displeased him, no matter how trivial it was, he could take Arus away from her without a second thought. Her people would constantly be at the mercy of her actions and the whims of his erratic personality. At that moment another wave of sickness fell over her, a combination of the Volyrul that was still in her system and the overwhelming emotions of their discussion finally taking their toll on her. A wave of dizziness engulfed her and she grabbed onto Lotor as she could feel her legs turn to spaghetti. Lotor caught her easily, frowning as he wondered how much damage the small amount of gradual poison she'd ingested had really done. He picked her up and carried her to the oversized bed, making sure that she was comfortable.

"I'm sorry, Allura," he said, kissing her forehead and pulling the soft blankets over her. "I promise that you will feel better soon."

For some reason she believed him as she closed her eyes, her mind wanting to completely analyze the day's activities but her body not allowing it. She drifted off to sleep, still not understanding what had transpired over the past 24 hours.


	4. Chapter 4

Lotor entered Allura's room with a most triumphant grin on his face. He saw Allura standing in front of one of the small windows, looking radiant in the navy blue dress he'd left for her earlier as a gift.

"I'm glad to see you are better, my love," he said.

Her only response was a small nod of acknowledgement.

"We should discuss our impending nuptials," he informed her, the gloating tone in his voice impossible to ignore.

The word nuptials tore at her core, as some small part of her still refused to believe that her fate was sealed. The dark prince lightly took her by elbow and guided her towards the oversized table in the center of the room. He could make an infinite number of demands, yet the sad look in her eyes limited him so much. He couldn't hurt her the way he was used to hurting so many others… her pain was his pain, and he had already done so much damage.

"I think one month's time should be sufficient for us to make preparations, it should also be enough time for you to tie up any loose ends on Arus that you may have. As we've already agreed, you may have one hundred percent control of the planet with one additional condition – I get the keys to the Voltron lions."

Allura gasped, not able to fully think of the fate of her friends until just now.

"No!" she sputtered without thinking.

The dark prince inhaled sharply, anticipating this reaction. "Due to my feelings for you, I've decided to spare you the worst-case scenario. Your Captain must die, but the three others may live as long as they never set foot in Doom Territory again, which of course will include Arus. Consider this a most generous wedding gift."

"No, Lotor, please!" she shook her head, refusing to believe what he had just told her.

"He's already here, an official prisoner of planet Doom. I can't let him go free, Allura. It's already dangerous letting the others go. Our enemies would think us weak if we didn't make an example of at least the Captain." He put a piece of paper and a pen in front of her. "This is a treaty I've managed to agree to with my lawyers. I find it to be very accommodating for you and Arus. I've tried to be very considerate, Allura, and displeased many of my advisors in the process. I hope you understand that things could be much worse. Please see the concessions I demanded of them are out of my love for you and a sign that your happiness is paramount to me."

Allura stared at the paper in front of her blindly, realizing what he had said the day before, when he convinced her to agree to his offer of marriage… the lions were on Caelia…but it was all a trap! She felt another slight wave of nausea come over her as he continued.

"Please look it over and let me know if you think anything needs to be changed. Also, I've directed the guards to escort you anywhere in the castle you may wish to go with the exception of my father's apartments. You no longer have to stay in here if you choose not to, I'm sure you're eager to see some new surroundings. Just push this button," he set a small transmitter down on the table, "And the guards will come into the room to take you where you wish to go."

She was still too visibly upset to acknowledge his small gesture of kindness, but he didn't hold it against her. He walked out of the room, reminding the guards of his previous instructions and sighed, hoping once they were married and the annoying Captain was gone that things would start to get better.

Once Lotor had left and Allura was able to compose herself, she realized what he had directed the guards to do. Anywhere in the castle….that meant the dungeon, where Keith was no doubt being held.

_I have to see him,_ she thought. _I have to explain! _

She pushed the button on the device that Lotor had left and two Drule guards entered her room.

"Take me to the dungeon," she ordered them. They looked at each other, unsure of how to respond. Lotor had instructed them to bring her wherever she wished inside the castle with the exception of Zarkon's apartments. The dungeon met this criteria, but was still no doubt a questionable area. Still unable to come up with a reasonable explanation of not escorting Allura where she wished to go without contacting and perhaps angering Prince Lotor, they relunctantly led her down into the depths of Castle Doom.

* * *

Allura found the former Voltron Captain in the cell that the Drule guards brought her to.

"Keith…." She whispered, analyzing her friend's condition as the guards unlocked the cell for her. He was sitting on the floor and slumped over a bench, looking down. His left arm was draped over his stomach as though he'd sustained an injury.

"Princess!" he said, looking up at her. He was relieved that she'd come to see him and that the guards didn't object when she asked to be let inside his cell.

Allura ran to him, sitting on the ground next to him and throwing her arms around hiw shoulders. He leaned his head back onto her arm and she began rubbing her hand through his hair. She could see that his face was bloodied and bruised as though it had been hit quite a few times. "Keith, I'm so sorry," she whispered, her eyes starting to fill with tears again. "I had no idea you were here…look what they've done to you!" She started to cry harder as the realization hit her that the man who had done this was the same man that she had just signed her life away to. Keith started coughing and Allura looked down at him through worried eyes.

"Keith are you okay? What's wrong!" Allura tried to compose herself as she realized that he probably needed medical attention. "Someone get a doctor down here!" she ordered. She wasn't their Queen yet, but maybe they would listen….

"Well isn't this sweet," an obnoxious voice chimed as Lotor entered Keith's cell. Allura gently made sure Keith was supported, then stood up to face him.

"You said anywhere in the castle!" she said firmly.

"Because I thought you had at least a small amount of common sense!" he bellowed back, grabbing her by the arm. "Take her to her room!" he told two of the guards. They escorted Allura out of Keith's cell, but further down the hall a part of her snapped. She turned around and started running in the opposite direction back towards the cell that Keith had been in. The guards, surprised at her spontaneous decision, didn't catch up to her until she had already turned the corner and bumped into Lotor, who wasn't far behind them.

He looked at her with surprise and not a small amount of irritation. "What are you doing, _dear_?" he asked through clenched teeth, trying to keep his composure.

"I have to talk to you. Now." she said, Lotor noticing a marked defiance in her tone. His anger subsided some and was replaced by a bit of curiosity. He waved the guards off and took her by the arm, and together they walked out of the dungeon area in silence.

Lotor led Allura to one of the many random sitting areas of the castle and offered her a chair, which she refused. "Well," he pressed her, "I am a busy man, Allura. _Go on_!"

"Here," she said, taking the Arusian crown that she always wore off of her head and handing it to him, "You can have it. It's yours." She stared him directly in the eyes, a seemingly different person from the one he'd spoken with the day before.

"And what would you have me do with this, Allura? I have many crowns of my own." he said to her, his level of annoyance beginning to rise again.

"Arus…" she said, "It's yours. Take it. I can't keep my promise to you so by default my planet is yours."

Lotor ran a hand through his thick hair and wondered, when you actually took the time to talk to them, if all women were as complicated as the one he'd chosen to marry. Though the idea that she was offering her planet to him so willingly was tempting, he knew there had to be something more behind it.

"Please enlighten me with the reasons of your about-face, Allura," he said sarcastically.

"You can force me to marry you, you can keep me here as your prisoner, but I cannot keep my promise of accepting you as my husband and King," she said intently. "I would be lying if I said I could…because once you kill Keith, the part of me that you truly desire, the part of me with any passion or spirit or even perhaps the will to live, will die along with him. It's not something I can control…it will just be. So if you have no concern with spending the rest of your life with nothing more than a lifeless robot, then so be it. But I will not be able to lie and tell you that I can be the wife and Queen that I promised you I would be. So, per our earlier discussion, you may have my planet."

Lotor stared at her dumbfounded, not sure at all how to react. No one had ever spoken to him like this before. "Is this a trick?" he challenged.

"No," she replied. "No trick. At your convenience I will call Arus and let them know that they can begin preparations to turn complete control over to you after we are married."

He only continued to stare at her, trying to figure out what she was getting at.

She went on. "It's your choice. What would you prefer? Me as your wife, by your side as Queen, or one more dead man to add to the thousands already in your collection?" Even though Allura's situation was still far from ideal, she felt new surge of confidence as she took back some of the earlier power she's surrendered to him.

Lotor's anger began to swell inside him again as he realized the ultimatum she was proposing. He picked up a vase on a nearby table and threw it against the wall, and Allura jumped as it shattered into hundreds of pieces. "_You_ dare to make demands of _me,_" he roared, turning abruptly to face her.

"This isn't a conscious choice I'm making. I have no control over it…I'm just telling you the facts so that I may honor our agreement."

Lotor was torn between the choices she presented in front of him. Should he allow his mortal enemy to live, or the only woman he loved obsessively to die a virtual death. He exhaled deeply and called for a guard in the next room.

"Bring me the Captain Keith!" he demanded, as the anger he was feeling turned into full-blown rage.

As they drug an injured Keith into the room, Lotor, still seething, turned to Allura. "He shall go free, but under no circumstances is he or any of the others _ever_ allowed to set foot in Doom Territory again, or try to make any contact with you whatsoever! If they do," he regarded her with an intensity she'd never seen in him before, "may the gods help me, they will know a more excruciating pain than any man has ever known _and will be executed_. Is that clear?" he formed his words slowly to make sure that there would be no confusion.

When no one answered him loudly enough, Lotor yelled openly, "I said _is that understood!"_ Allura managed to squeak out a weak yes, terrified at the fury he exhibited before her now.

Lotor walked over to Allura and put his finger under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "Look at me Allura," he demanded, "I want there to be no misunderstanding." She stared at him, all instances of her former defiance gone as her expression was now replaced with fear. She swallowed hard and waited for him to speak again.

"Are you satisfied with the conditions of this arrangement?" he asked sharply.

She nodded quickly. "Y, y, yes…" she stammered, her lips quivering.

"Good. Then there is nothing more to discuss. Take him to a shuttle!" Lotor yelled. He didn't wait until they had removed Keith's injured body, or for Allura to say anything more. He stormed out of the room, victorious yet defeated, leaving a stunned Allura behind, alone.

As Allura watched Lotor charge out of the room, her first instinct was to chase after the guards and Keith. She started to run but stopped herself, remembering how angry Lotor had been just seconds before. If he caught her, in the current state of anger that he was in, there was no telling what he would do to both of them. She did find some sort of peace knowing that the Voltron Force would be spared death...just knowing that her friends would remain alive made her future with Lotor seem that much more bearable. She stopped herself at the doorway and found herself in unfamiliar surroundings, realizing that she was lost in the bleak castle. She wasn't able to recall where this room was in relation to the one she'd been staying in, and she didn't feel like searching for someone to help her. So, she decided to stay where she was. Since it was nearing her usual sleep time anyway, she went back into the room and laid down on one of the couches. The emotionally charged day began to take its toll on her, and she soon fell asleep.

* * *

Lotor finished his sixth or seventh glass of wine and sat at the large dining table in his quarters alone, staring out of one of the windows. He didn't know what time it was and didn't care. He had ordered everyone not to disturb him as he reflected on the events of earlier that night. He'd always known Allura had had a powerful hold on him, but he never imagined it was this strong. He had let the Voltron Captain go for her. He didn't know what to think anymore…a large part of himself was disgusted with the decision he had made. And yet, he would do it over again in a heartbeat. He'd never had the urge to protect anyone before yet he would kill anyone with his bare hands who dared even glance at her the wrong way. He thought about how angry he'd been earlier and how it had frightened her and for a split second he understood why she despised him so much. So where should he go from here? He had never been in this situation before, never cared about what anyone else thought of him. But now he had an overwhelming urge to make amends…maybe it was the wine. He sighed and stood up, walking down the long corridor to her room. It was late and she was probably sleeping, but the wine overrode logic and he ordered the guard standing outside Allura's room to open the door.

"Yes sir," the guard replied, "But she's not in there, sir, the previous guard said she'd never returned after she left earlier today."

"She _what!?!?!_" Lotor exclaimed, outraged. "Get some teams together and find her, _now!"_

"Yes, my Lord," the guard said, and left his post to gather more troops.

Lotor tried to remember where she had gone earlier and where she could possibly be. He calmed down some once he remembered how heavily fortified the castle was, and something inside told him that she wouldn't leave, that she had made a promise to him on behalf of her planet and the lives of her friends, and she would keep it.

By now there was a full-on search operation for Allura and on a whim Lotor thought to check the sitting room they had been in earlier. He opened the door and turned on the light, and to his immense relief he saw his beloved princess sleeping soundly on one of the couches. He approached the couch softly and knelt down beside her, watching her as she slept with affection and adoration. He sighed contently thinking that once they were married he would go to bed every night with her, waiting for her to fall asleep first just so that he could observe her, and every morning he would wake up before she did to do the same thing again. He was sure it was something he would never tire of.

"Allura," he whispered, coming out of his reverie as he prodded her gently.

"Hmmmmm," she uttered, not opening her eyes.

"Come, my love, you'll be more comfortable in your bed." She nodded, still half asleep, and he carefully picked her up off of the couch while trying not to wake her. Once outside the sitting room the guards saw Lotor with Allura, and they called of the search. He carried her up the stairs to the royal wing of the castle and into her room, where he laid her down softly on the bed.

"Sweet dreams, Allura," he murmured, lightly kissing her on the lips before he decided that he, too, should get some sleep.


End file.
